


I Love You A Latte

by sephirothflame



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bisexual Character, Falling In Love in a Coffee Shop, First Dates, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Pansexual Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2018-10-08 12:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10387029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sephirothflame/pseuds/sephirothflame
Summary: “So, are you actually going to buy something, or are you just going to hog the table with your laptop and books?” Jace asks, tugging Simon’s headphones down on one side as he joins him. The blue apron Jace is required to wear is a good color on him, not that Simon will admit it aloud.“I’ll have you know I bought a coffee,” Simon says. He points with his pen to a ceramic mug, though the contents have long since gone cold. “I even drank most of it.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Shadowhunters AU Mondays](https://shadowhuntersaumondays.tumblr.com/) and originally posted on my [Tumblr](http://sunshine-fic.tumblr.com/). Beta'd by [**zombiejuju**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombiejuju).
> 
> What it says on the tin. Gratuitous Jimon fluff where Simon is an Accounting student and Jace is a barista working at his cousin's coffee shop on campus. Rating will probably jump up to include first time fluff by the end of chapter five.

“So, are you actually going to buy something, or are you just going to hog the table with your laptop and books?” Jace asks, tugging Simon’s headphones down on one side as he joins him. The blue apron Jace is required to wear is a good color on him, not that Simon will admit it aloud.

“I’ll have you know I bought a coffee,” Simon says. He points with his pen to a ceramic mug, though the contents have long since gone cold. “I even drank most of it.”

“Yeah, like two hours ago,” Jace says. He splits one of the banana nut muffins stolen from the bakery display in half and offers some to Simon. “You got here before I did today.”

Simon takes a bite of the muffin and wipes his fingers on his jeans. “Afternoon class was cancelled today. I gotta stick around to give Clary a ride home, so I figured I’d get some studying in.”

“Your girlfriend is nice,” Jace says casually. He picks at his half of the muffin but doesn’t eat it. “She tips better than you do.”

“She’s not -” Simon starts.

“Jace!” Will shouts, poking his head out from the back room. “If there aren’t any customers to help, maybe you can wash some goddamn mugs?”

“If he wasn’t my damn cousin,” Jace says, rolling his eyes. He stands up and pushes his half of the muffin closer to Simon. “Go ahead.”

Simon has no idea if the muffin has even been paid for, but his stomach rumbles. He catches Jace’s wrist before he moves too far away. “Hey, uh, can I get another latte? This one’s cold.”

Jace looks at Simon like he wants to say something but bites his tongue as Simon presses a five dollar bill into his hands. “If you tell me to keep the change, I will punch you.”

“This coffee shop has terrible customer service,” Simon says, grinning. “But go ahead, keep the whole five cents I would be getting back. Maybe it’ll help your attitude.”

Jace cuffs Simon’s ear gently before reaching over him to grab his old mug. “Smart ass.”

Simon is too distracted by Jace’s biceps to think of a witty comeback.

 

* * *

“Pretty sure Jace thinks you're my girlfriend,” Simon tells Clary as they walk back to his car.

Clary scoffs. “I’m pretty sure Jace doesn’t.”

“No, he straight up told me  _ your girlfriend is nice _ ,” Simon says. He looks at her and he has no idea why she’s laughing at him right now. “He said you tip better than me, too, which is bullshit by the way. I always round up my change.”

“Simon, your latte is four ninety-five. That’s not really a generous tip,” Clary says, frowning.

“At least I tip,” Simon huffs. “And I always tip well when they have fun ones. Batman vs. Superman. Marvel vs. DC. Pumpkin Spice vs. Literally Any Other Flavor.”

“You better have voted Pumpkin Spice,” Clary says. She hip-checks him and grins. “Believe me, he does  _ not _ think you’re my boyfriend.”

“Why? What did he say to you?” Simon asks, but Clary just shakes her head. “ _ What did he say to you _ ?”

Clary doesn’t answer and she has a stupid grin on her face the rest of the way home.

 

* * *

Simon wears his favorite jeans and the only Batman shirt he can find in his closet that doesn’t have holes from repeated washings. He smoothes down his hair and stares at his reflection in his bedroom mirror. He should probably dress nicer if he wants a boy to ask him out but he doesn’t think he has anything to wear between the  _ casual dinner with friends _ and  _ some distant relative's funeral _ range.

He texts Clary, “ _ Does Jace have a crush on me? _ ”

Clary just texts back asking if he minds waiting a little later than usual so she can talk to her advisor. Like Simon would possibly tell her no.

 

* * *

Will is running the front end by himself when Simon shows up before his first class. He’s not surprised because Jace usually works the later shift, but his heart is oddly deflated anyways.

“Usual?” Will asks.

“Yeah. To go, I guess,” Simon says. He pulls a clean travel mug out of his backpack and passes it over to Will. “So, uh, Jace is your cousin, right?”

“I really try to stay as far away from his drama as possible,” Will says as he busies himself with making a latte. For a guy who owns a coffee shop tucked into the corner of a college campus, he doesn’t seem to like people that much.

“So there’s a lot of drama,” Simon says.

Will looks at him, deadpan, and he has the same blue eyes Jace does. “He’s in at two today if you want to make googly eyes at him.” He holds out his hand for Simon’s cash and punch card before he slides over the travel mug. “And two fifty for the muffin you stole yesterday.”

Simon hesitates before rooting around in his pockets for extra change. “Tell Jem it was good,” he says. “And I knew Jace didn’t pay for it. Asshole.”

Will just grins.

 

* * *

“I think you’re wrong about Jace,” Simon says when he meets up with Clary for lunch. She hands him half of a veggie sandwich and Simon takes it without complaint.

“All I said about Jace is he doesn’t think I’m your girlfriend,” Clary says. She takes a bite of her sandwich, taking her time chewing before continuing. “But if you asked him for his number, he’d probably give it to you.”

“Dude’s got biceps that could probably crush my skull,” Simon says, shaking his head. “No way I’m asking a straight guy for his phone number at my favorite coffee shop.”

Clary covers her mouth with her hand, still chewing. “Believe me, he’s not straight.”

“How would you know that? Did he resist your feminine wiles?” Simon asks. He picks the tomato off his sandwich and chews it slowly. “Like, I know he joins me when he takes his breaks and sometimes he gives me extra punches on my card, but that could just be him being nice, right? I mean, he works with his cousin, so maybe he doesn’t have any friends besides family?”

Clary stares at Simon like he’s grown a second head.

“Okay,  _ maybe _ he wants to go out sometime,” Simon says. “My last boyfriend was in the eleventh grade and he just wanted a prom date. I’m pretty sure Maureen only went out with me so she could say she had a boyfriend. We never even made out.”

“You’re overthinking this, Simon,” Clary says. She pats his thigh and bumps their shoulders together. “Believe me.”

“How do you know so much about Jace, anyway?” Simon asks.

Clary smiles sweetly. “His sister is in my Political Science class. We talk.”

Simon really doesn’t want to know.

 

* * *

Jace and Will are working the counter when Simon makes his way back to Cardale’s Coffee after his last class of the day, Will taking orders and Jace filling them. They work well together for two guys who seem to bicker all the time. Will rolls his eyes as he punches Simon’s card but Jace grins at him as he starts to make Simon’s latte.

“I heard you were harassing my cousin this morning,” Jace says. He passes Simon a well worn  _ World’s Best Dad _ mug and their fingers brush together. “That’s two days in a row you’ve come in when I’m not around.”

“Yeah, we gotta talk about that,” Simon says. Not now, not when there are people waiting for their drinks and half the coffee shop’s tables are full. He clears his throat awkwardly and shrugs. “When you get a break, or whatever.”

Jace looks more confused than anything and Simon fucking knew it. He knew Clary was wrong about Jace but it’s too late to do anything about it now. Simon has already put his foot in his mouth. “After the line dies,” Jace says.

“Yeah, sure,” Simon says. He takes his cup and finds a table in the corner to work on his essay. His hands shake as he pulls out his laptop and he's too anxious to focus. He’s pretty sure he’s just screwed this up before it’s even started.

Simon puts his head in his hands and tries to ignore the curious way Jace is staring at him from across the room.

 

* * *

“You didn’t even touch your latte,” Jace says, pulling out a chair and sitting next to Simon. He tips the mug to look at it and frowns. It’s probably tepid by now, but Simon might still drink it. “I’ve been practicing that latte art crap, too.”

“Oh,” Simon says. Honestly, he didn’t even look. Mostly Jace draws lopsided hearts or cats in the foam because that’s what the kids with their Instagram accounts seem to want. “Did you draw a penis?”

Jace snorts. “I could, if you wanted. Don’t let Jem find out though. He already thinks we’re crass.”

They kind of are sometimes, but Simon doesn’t say it. He closes the lid of his laptop and rubs at his face in exhaustion. “What did you want, Jace?”

“You’re the one who wanted to talk to me,” Jace says. His smile falters and Simon would feel bad, but he’s just as confused as Jace looks. “I can come back?”

Biting his lower lip and drumming his fingers on the table anxiously, Simon asks, “Are you gay?”

“No,” Jace says honestly, and he looks taken aback. “I like girls, too.”

“Oh,” Simon says. His fingers tremble and he fidgets with his laptop. “Forget I was going to say anything then. Clary was just being a -” Simon hesitates, something in his brain clicking. “Wait, you like girls _too_? As in you like girls _as well_ _as_ boys?”

“Is that going to be a problem?” Jace asks, almost hesitant. “I know a lot of people have  _ issues _ with the bi thing.”

“Oh my god,” Simon says, hiding his face in his hands. “I’m so dumb. Forget I said anything at all. I’m serious. This awful conversation never happened.”

Jace touches Simon’s wrist and tugs gently, pulling his hand away so Simon can look at him. He looks more amused than anything. “So you’re not going to ask me for my number then?”

“I hate when Clary is right,” Simon says, face flushing. He runs his fingers through his hair and laughs awkwardly, trying to ease some of the tension from his body. “Give me your number, jerk.”

Jace pulls a sharpie from his apron pocket and writes it on a napkin like they’re in some sort of romantic comedy. He tucks it into the palm of Simon’s hand and grins. “For what it’s worth, I don’t work on the weekends.”

“How the hell did you manage to get weekends off?” Simon asks.

“Do your homework,” Jace says, standing up and ruffling Simon’s hair. He snatches Simon’s mug and says, “I’ll make you a new coffee,” before Simon has the chance to object.

When he brings a new latte over, there’s a batman symbol made with cinnamon and foam and Simon can’t even begin to explain the things his heart is doing in his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still edited by [**zombiejuju**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombiejuju). Still not sure how I ended up writing Jimon but we'll see where it takes us.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are love.

“How long do I have to wait to text him?” Simon asks Clary.

“You should probably text him tonight so he has your number, too,” Clary says. She doesn’t seem the least bit surprised by the revelation of Jace giving Simon his number.

“What if he gave me a fake number?” Simon asks. At Clary’s blank stare, Simon’s heart races. “What if he actually gave me his number?”

“Then you guys go on a date and maybe have fun?” Clary asks.

Simon rubs at his temples to relieve the pressure. He’s given up on controlling the pounding in his chest. “What if he wants to,  _ you know _ , on the first date?”

Clary stares at him. She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it again and shakes her head. “Do you want him to?”

Honestly, Simon doesn’t. He wants this thing between him and Jace to be real, maybe. He likes Jace’s warm smiles and his sarcasm and the fact he gives Simon free coffee sometimes. If he expects Simon to put out on the first date, then clearly Jace doesn’t feel the same and Simon doesn’t know if he can live with that.

“I guess I’ll text him later,” Simon says.

Clary squeezes Simon’s arm and smiles up at him. “It’s gonna be fine, Simon.”

Simon really wishes he could believe her.

 

* * *

It takes Simon nearly half an hour and a dozen scrapped conversation starters before he settles on texting, “ _ Hey, it’s Simon.” _ He doesn’t even risk adding an emoji in case Jace is one of those people who thinks they’re an abomination. 

“ _ Hey _ ,” Jace texts back. It’s not much of a conversation starter and Simon really has no idea where to go from there. The only people he texts are Clary and his sister and Simon definitely doesn’t know how to text a boy he might have a crush on.

Simon drops his phone on the bed beside him and hides his face under his pillows. There’s existential dread kicking in and he’s beginning to regret everything. He has no idea what he’s doing and Jace is going to realize that and think he’s pathetic.

His phone beeps again. “ _ Sorry, Will is an ass. Expecting me to work while I’m at work. What’s up?” _

Simon wants to scream. His hands tremble, anxiety pumping through his veins, and he doesn’t want to spend all night trading pleasantries that are more bland than the interactions they have at the coffee shop. If there was a way to skip the awkward smalltalk and jump straight to inside jokes and random memes at two in the morning, Simon would kill for it.

“ _ Avoiding homework _ ,” Simon texts back. “ _ You? _ ”

It takes a few minutes, but Jace replies with “ _ Washing dishes _ ” and “ _ Wanna grab lunch tomorrow? _ ”

“ _ I’m free from 11 to 1, basically _ ,” Simon replies. He has to wipe his sweaty palms on his jeans. He hates the way his heart is racing. “ _ What did you have in mind? _ ”

“ _ Meet me at Cardale’s at 11 _ ,” Jace texts.  _ “Back to work. Text later. _ ”

 

* * *

For the second day in a row, Simon has to dig through his closet to find something nice enough to wear. Since it’s a  _ quick bite between classes  _ kind of date, he’s pretty sure he doesn’t need to wear one of his polos, but Simon’s not sure if Jace would appreciate him wearing a Green Lantern tee, either. He settles on a plain black tee and he’s almost late picking Clary up for class.

“We’re getting lunch,” Simon tells her. “Like, we’re going to go together and get food. I have to sit through two classes with the knowledge that I’m going to be going on a date halfway through the day with the cute barista from my favorite coffee place on campus.”

“You’re overthinking it again, Simon,” Clary says. She pats his arm gently. “It’s just lunch. You’re gonna do fine.”

“Oh god, what if it is  _ just a lunch _ and I’m putting way too much thought into this?” Simon asks. His hands tremble and he wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans. “What if Jace is just being friendly and this isn’t a date?”

“Well, the good news is, he probably won’t want you to put out in his cousin’s coffeeshop then,” Clary says. “He has to work there.”

Simon is disappointed and relieved with either potential outcome. He wants his relationship with Jace to take that kind of turn, desperately so, but he’s pretty sure he’s not ready for it to just yet.

 

* * *

It takes Simon almost ten minutes to make it from his classroom to Cardale’s and he texts Jace apologies the whole way there. Even though Jace texts him that it’s fine, he doesn’t mind waiting, Simon’s surprised to see him sitting inside. He’s still kind of expecting this to all be an elaborate prank.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Simon says, out of breath.

“You keep saying that,” Jace says, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Did you want to get coffee here or go to the sub shop?”

Simon actually thinks about it before shaking his head. “Sub shop is fine.”

Jace stands up and slings a backpack onto his shoulder. He grins at Simon and tugs on his sleeve to get Simon to follow him outside. The sub place is just around the corner. It’s nice out and the walk is almost enjoyable, except for the way the silence drags.

“So, are you going to school?” Simon asks.

“Nah,” Jace says. “I have an Associate’s Degree, but I didn’t see the point in spending more money when I don’t even know what I want to do. You’re studying Accounting?”

“My mom kind of pushed me into it, but yeah,” Simon says. It seemed simple enough and he’s always been good with numbers. He’s heard good things about getting hired on after college, too, which was the deciding factor. He shrugs his shoulders and Jace grins at him.

At the sandwich shop, Jace insists on paying and he doesn’t let Simon sit at one of the tables. When Simon looks at him in confusion, Jace says, “It’s a nice day out. I paid for you to get chips, man. Grab a bag and stop looking at me like that.”

“You didn’t have to pay,” Simon says. He grabs a bag of Doritos and tries to fight the flush rising on his cheeks.

“I asked you out, I have to pay,” Jace says flippantly. He touches the small of Simon’s back and pushes him towards the door, back out into the sunlight. “The shady area, by the trees.”

Simon has no idea what Jace is planning but if they’re going to eat outside, he’s glad they’ll be out of the direct sunlight. All of the benches and tables are in the open and Simon’s not really looking forward to sunburns this early in the season.

“Hold these,” Jace says, passing his food over to Simon. Simon really doesn’t have enough hands for this but he’s careful not to drop anything. Jace opens his backpack and pulls out a dark blue blanket, shaking it out before spreading it out across the ground and dropping down onto it gracelessly. “My siblings and I eat lunch out here sometimes, when the weather is nice.”

Jace pulls a Tupperware container filled with cookies and a little bottle of hand sanitizer out of his bag. He makes grabby hands for his food and Simon hands it over. Jace grins up at Simon and gestures for Simon to join him.

“Clary and I usually eat by the fountain,” Simon says, sitting carefully. The ground isn’t as hard as he thought it would be and there’s something nice about sitting outside to eat. They’re having a picnic and it’s weirdly intimate. “Not that I’m complaining, but why this?”

Jace shrugs his shoulder and unwraps his sandwich. “You didn’t seem like the clubbing or bar type.” He takes a bite of his sandwich and chews slowly. “I spent a lot of time Googling  _ not dumb first date ideas _ . Kind of figured you’d think this is dumb, but it was better than the alternatives.”

“Nothing involving food is dumb,” Simon says. He leans close to Jace long enough to bump their shoulders together. His heart pounds and he can feel himself blush when Jace grins at him. Simon picks at his sandwich and hopes Jace doesn’t notice. “Do you go on a lot of dates?”

“Did Will tell you I was a slut?” Jace asks. He doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by the accusation, like maybe he’s heard it from Will before.

“He said you had a lot of drama,” Simon says. He looks into Jace’s eyes and swallows. “Which, is fine, really. I have like no drama. I have dated two people in my life and they both didn’t work out. Obviously. So.”

“I tend to rebound a lot,” Jace says honestly. If he’s uncomfortable with the direction the conversation is going, he doesn’t let it show. “I think I’m ready for something serious again, though.”

Simon’s breath catches in his throat and he stares at the food in his lap to hide his blush. “Me too.”

When he looks up again, Jace is grinning.

 

* * *

After the food is gone and the garbage is disposed of, Jace and Simon stretch out on the blanket and watch the light shift through the leaves. It’s surprisingly easy to kick back together and make small talk. This isn’t so different than their conversations in Cardale’s, except here they’re laying down with their shoulders touching.

Jace is close enough that Simon could kiss him if he wanted to. If he was brave enough to.

It’s easy to lose track of time just chatting about Simon’s classes and regulars at the coffee shop. Simon sets an alarm on his phone to make sure he’s not late to his next class, and he’s startled the moment it goes off.

“Are you going to come by the shop before you head home tonight?” Jace asks, propping himself up on his elbows and looking down at Simon. He leans into Simon’s space and, surprisingly, Simon’s heart doesn’t start to race. This feels good. Natural, even.

“That’s the plan,” Simon says as he silences his phone. He wets his lips and stares at Jace’s. It’s hard to make eye contact when he’s this close.

“Right,” Jace says. His fingers touch Simon’s jaw, tipping his face towards Jace. “Can I kiss you now?”

Simon laughs, startled, before slapping a hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he says, and he’s relieved that Jace just looks more amused than anything. “Oh god, yes. Please do.”

Jace does. His lips are warm and chapped and he presses closer into Simon’s space, his body a comforting, heavy weight at Simon’s side. There’s no rush to make it deeper or take it farther. It’s sweet, really, just a slow drag of lips together that makes Simon lightheaded. He tangles his fingers in Jace’s shirt and holds him close.

“Your alarm,” Jace whispers against Simon’s lips.

“I’ve got a few minutes,” Simon says. He’s not ready for this to end and Jace doesn’t seem to have any problem in kissing Simon again. 

Simon is late for his next class but he can’t even bring himself to be upset about it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still beta'd by [**zombiejuju**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombiejuju). I'm not sure how I haven't made brains explode yet.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and commenting. I'm getting the nicest comments on this fic. It's kind of my favorite thing to work on right now.

“Can casual kisses be a thing we do or is it way too soon for that?” Jace asks. He hands Simon a latte with a simple heart design and sits next to him. Their knees bump under the table.

“I have no idea,” Simon says. He takes a sip of his drink and sets it safely to the side of his laptop. “Are you on break or just killing time?”

“A little bit of both,” Jace says. He rests his chin in his palm and watches Simon with a fond smile. It’s a little unnerving. “I had fun. At lunch, I mean.”

Simon closes the lid of his laptop and stares at the table to hide his blush. “Me too.”

“So, I was thinking we could do something this weekend?” Jace asks. His hair is starting to fall into his face and Simon’s fingers ache to brush it behind his ear. “We could go to the movies or something. I don’t know. What do people do on dates?”

“I’m sure we can Google it,” Simon says. He looks up at Jace and grins. He’s not sure how dates are supposed to go since the last time he went on one it ended up breaking the band up. It’s probably too soon to mention that to Jace, though. “Uh. Dinner and a movie is classic, right?”

“Saturday?” Jace asks. When Simon nods, he grins. “Great. We can text later and figure it out.”

“Sounds great,” Simon says. He’s got butterflies in his stomach and he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. He curls them around the latte Jace brought him just to keep from drumming his fingers on the table. It’s still hot and it smells amazing. “I, uh. Yeah.”

“You’re cute,” Jace says fondly. There’s no malice or teasing to his tone. It makes Simon blush. “I should probably get back to work.”

“Okay,” Simon says. He’s a little disappointed. “Um, the thing you said earlier. The kissing thing? I’d be okay with that.”

“That’s good to know,” Jace says. He stands up and kisses Simon’s forehead. “I’ll text you.”

Simon can’t focus on anything for the rest of the night.

 

* * *

“So, how was your lunch date?” Clary asks. She loops her elbow through Simon’s and grins at him as they walk back towards his car.

“It was great,” Simon says. He licks his lips and grins. “There was kissing. A lot of kissing. And we’re gonna go out again this weekend, hopefully.”

“I’m happy for you,” Clary says. She tips her head onto his shoulder and sighs longingly. “I wish I had someone to go on dates with and kiss.”

“Maybe Jace has a cousin who’s single. Or a brother.” Someone besides Will, because Simon is pretty sure Jace told him that Will bangs Jem in the supply closet. Other than that, Simon realizes he really doesn’t know that much about Jace’s family. Besides his sister being a student here, too.

“His brother is gay,” Clary says. “Maybe Izzy will go on a girl date with me.”

Simon isn’t entirely sure what a  _ girl date _ is and he’s not ready to ask. “Well. Maybe we can double date. It’s been awhile since you dragged me to get a manicure.”

Clary laughs and it’s one of Simon’s favorite sounds on the planet.

 

* * *

By the time they agree on what they’re going to do on Saturday, it’s late enough that Simon is curled up in bed trying to will himself to sleep. He’s happily burritoed in his blankets but he can’t help wondering what it would feel like to have Jace snuggled up next to him. Simon wonders if Jace is in bed right now, too, and if he sleeps curled up in pajamas or just boxers. If he even wears boxers. He’s glad Jace isn’t here to see him blush.

He wants to know everything about Jace but he’s pretty sure it’s way too soon to ask those kinds of questions.

“ _ Night, babe _ ,” Jace texts and it feels so natural to echo the sentiment right back to him. With a kissy face emoji because Simon is trash but at least he owns it.

 

* * *

Friday is Simon’s short day. He’s done with classes by noon but Clary won’t finish until Jace shows up for his shift at two and it only gives Simon a few minutes to creep on him. He kind of regrets not asking Jace if he wanted to have lunch again. At least then they would have time to talk.

Simon is pretty sure he’s going to be one of those clingy boyfriends.

“Hey,” Jace says when he comes in for his shift. He stops by the corner table long enough to cup Simon’s face in his cold hands. “Still okay?”

“Yeah,” Simon says. He’s breathless even before Jace pecks a quick kiss to his lips. “I would have asked for your number months ago if I knew we were gonna kiss this much.”

Jace grins and ruffles Simon’s hair. “Do you want a refill, or were you going to wait for Clary?”

“Uh, wait, I guess,” Simon says. He touches Jace’s hip because it’s there and he wants to. Jace is warm and Simon remembers yesterday when they were pressed together and kissing in the grass. He bites his lip.

“I gotta get ready for my shift,” Jace says. He doesn’t move right away and Simon really doesn’t want him to.

It’s not until Jace has slipped into the back of the shop that Simon realizes Jem is staring at him. He’s busing a table a few feet away and his expression is unreadable. Simon isn’t sure if he’s ever talked to Jem for longer than it takes to order a drink and being the focus of Jem’s attention is unnerving now.

“Hey,” Simon says awkwardly. “Your muffins are the bomb.”

Jem sighs heavily and stands up straighter. “Herondales tend to fall hard and fast. Be careful with him.”

“Wait, is this a shovel talk?” Simon asks. He’s not sure he’s prepared to receive the shovel talk, especially from Jem of all people. He’s not even sure Jem is qualified to be giving it to Simon, since he’s only the boyfriend of Jace’s cousin.

“Jace is a good kid,” Jem says, like he’s not just a couple years older than Jace and Simon. “Don’t let him rush this or you’ll both end up hurt.”

Before Simon can say anything, Jace is behind the bar and calling out for Jem. “Will asked you to hurry up with the mugs, Jem. I’m obviously paraphrasing for your benefit.”

Jem rolls his eyes and grabs the bucket he’s been filling with dirty dishes. “If Will is back there looking at videos of cats instead of working, he’s sleeping on the couch.”

“You are responsible for my cousin, not me,” Jace says. He holds up his hands in passivity and winks at Simon when Jem heads back into the kitchen. “You see what I have to deal with?”

Simon grins and tries not to let Jem’s words bother him. Jace hasn’t even brought up the topic of sex yet so he doesn’t need to worry about moving too fast. Just because they’re kissing a lot doesn’t mean anything. Now that Jem has said something about it though, Simon is going to worry.

 

* * *

At the theater, Jace pays for their tickets, popcorn, and drinks. “Stop giving me that face. Do you even have a job?”

“Well, no,” Simon says. He’s not sure what face he could possibly be making besides open adoration. He pouts slightly. “I mean, my grandparents give me a little bit of spending money as long as I get good grades, so I can pay once in awhile.”

“Then you can pay for dinner,” Jace says. “If you can get to the check before I do.”

“I really want to be mad at you right now,” Simon says. He likes the idea of being spoiled but he doesn’t like the idea of Jace spending all of his hard earned money on him. It’s hard to be mad at Jace when he’s so distracting in tight jeans and a leather jacket, though. Simon feels underdressed in his favorite Nightwing hoodie. “Let’s just get seats?”

They sit in the back of the theatre and Jace pushes up the center armrest so that they can press together, practically hip to hip. Jace tangles their fingers together as the room starts to darken and Simon has no idea how he’s supposed to focus on anything else now.

Feeling brave, Simon rests his cheek against Jace’s shoulder. His heart races when Jace rests his own cheek against the crown of Simon’s head. The crick in Simon’s neck is definitely going to be worth it.

 

* * *

“We should probably talk,” Simon says.

“About dessert?” Jace asks. He pushes his plate away from himself and leans back in the booth. His face is flushed and his hair is mussy from the way he runs his fingers through it. “I think we should get dessert.”

“Oh, yeah, they have blondies,” Simon says, distracted. He reaches for the dessert menu and hesitates. “I mean, no. No, we should talk about, uh, you know.”

Jace tips his head to the side slightly and watches Simon through half-lidded eyes. “Uh huh. You’re going to have to be a little more specific, babe.”

Simon licks his lips and stares at the table instead of meeting Jace’s gaze. “About sex.”

“Oh,” Jace says. Sighing heavily and sitting up straighter, he leans his elbows on the table and takes one of Simon’s hands in his own. “You want to have it or you don’t want to?”

“I do,” Simon says, his face flushing from more than just the beer. “It’s just…I’ve never. And I like you. A lot. So.”

“You’ve never been with a guy?” Jace asks.

“Ever,” Simon says. It’s harder to admit the truth than he thought it would be.

“Oh,” Jace says. He squeezes Simon’s hand gently. Jace’s lips are pursed and he stares at their connected hands. “Okay, that’s fine. I can work with this.”

“You’re freaking out about the virgin thing,” Simon says, his heart sinking. He can’t believe he’s going to get dumped within three days of getting a boyfriend because he’s never had sex before. “I can see it on your face.”

“We’ll wait,” Jace says. He tugs at Simon’s hand and kisses his knuckles, like he’s some sort of damsel. It actually feels kind of nice. “There’s no rush. When we’re both ready, we can figure it out. I don’t mind going slow for once.”

“Have you ever?” Simon asks. “With a guy?”

Jace shrugs a shoulder and reaches for the dessert menu. “I’ve fooled around. And I’ve had threesomes. But never anything like this.”

“Oh,” Simon says. He’s not entirely sure what he was expecting but that wasn’t it. Will and Jem made it sound like Jace is some sort of stud who sleeps around all the time. Simon had just assumed some of those times had been with men.

Jace clears his throat. “You wanted a blondie, right?”

Simon is glad for the change of conversation. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're just going to pretend I haven't ignored this since March.
> 
> Beta'd by [**zombiejuju**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombiejuju), who bosses me around and shames me for not writing. 10/10, would recommend.
> 
> Slight mention of past Jace/Maia that ends on good enough terms.

“Will told me Jace was a ho but I wasn’t ready to believe him,” Simon says.

Clary wipes her eyes and yawns widely. Opening the door to the apartment wider, she wanders off into the kitchen without seeing if Simon is following. He doesn’t blame her. It’s before ten on a Saturday. “Do I wanna know?”

“He’s had _threesomes_ ,” Simon says, awed. “I’ve never even had sex!”

“That doesn’t make him a ho,” Clary says. She fills her electric kettle and turns it on before leaning against the kitchen counter. Glancing at the clock on the microwave, Clary makes an exasperated sound. “Simon, has this been bothering you all night?”

“Literally since the minute our date ended.” He rubs at his eyes. “What if I’m so bad in bed he breaks up with me on the spot? Like he pulls out and is just like, _that was nice, have a nice night_ and then starts ghosting me?”

Clary stares at him.

“Okay, maybe he wouldn’t ghost me,” Simon says. “He does work in the best coffee shop on campus. I am not prepared to walk the extra mile to Starbucks just because I was bad in bed. We’ll both just have to be awkward about it.”

“Simon, you’re overthinking this,” Clary says. Her mothering tone is nullified by her Fluttershy pajama pants and oversized mermaid sleep top.

“You think I don’t know that?” Simon asks. He hangs his head in shame and rubs at his temples. “I’m going to screw this up before it even gets off the ground.”

“You’re going to do fine,” Clary says. She rubs Simon’s back and rests her cheek on his shoulder. She’s half asleep, tone quiet and gestures sluggish, and  it almost makes Simon regret waking her up to have his little breakdown. Almost.

 

* * *

 

Simon’s halfway through a match on _Overwatch_ when his phone pings with a text from Jace. It takes a lot of self control to ignore it. He scrambles across his bed for his phone as soon as the match is over, nearly tugging it out of the wall socket.

 _I’m sorry if last night was awkward_. Jace says and Simon feels a little guilty. He’s not the one who made it awkward, not exclusively. Certainly not on purpose.

 _It’s fine. I freak out too easy. I’m fine with you having experience_ . _At least one of us does._ Simon tacks a laughing-crying emoji on the end and tries not to let the self-deprecation eat him alive.

 _I’m sure you’ll do great_ . Jace says, followed closely by, _You willing to give me another chance?_

Simon answers, _Obviously yes._

Jace texts Simon a link to the school’s hockey page but it takes Simon a minute to realize what he’s looking for. There’s a game coming up and the tickets are free to students, but Simon has never actually gone. He doesn’t look good in red and hockey isn’t really his sport.

 _My brother is on the team,_ Jace texts. _My sister and his boyfriend were gonna go watch and then get dinner after. You can come with?_

Simon doesn’t know if it’s too soon to meet the family or if the third date is about right. He knows the fifth date is the new third date when it comes to putting out, so maybe meeting the family has changed, too. Not that he’s counting down how many dates he goes on until he has to have sex. Not that he _has_ to. He’s just pumping himself up for it. He wants to be important enough in Jace’s life that he warrants being shown off.

 _Sounds great_ , Simon says. _Do you want to get lunch again before then?_

 _I’d love to_ , Jace says. Simon’s heart races in his chest.

 

* * *

 

Jace isn’t in the coffee shop when Simon shows up after his last class, but it’s still early in the afternoon. The coffee shop is open until eleven most nights and Jace usually runs the last shift of the night. Will is running the counter, as well as a student hire Simon doesn’t recognize. He settles in for a latte he’s probably going to neglect again and to study.

“You’re not going to get a discount if you bang my cousin,” Will says. He’s got a feather duster in his hands but Simon has yet to see him dust anything. Jem must be lurking in the back office, giving orders and keeping him busy.

“Well, I haven’t yet, so,” Simon says. He smiles awkwardly. “I’ll try to keep that in mind when it happens?”

Will looks genuinely surprised. “I’ve never known Jace to spend more than a week wooing someone.”

“Have you considered not attacking your cousin’s character at every turn?” Simon asks. He sips his coffee. Will just rolls his eyes. “Jace and I are going at a pace that works for us.”

“I don’t know the last time Jace took something seriously,” Will says. He folds his arms, tapping the feather duster against his bicep. “Not since him and Maia tried dating.”

Part of Simon deflates and he resists asking who Maia is. He really doesn’t want to compare himself to any of Jace’s exes. “So, uh.”

“Drink your coffee,” Will says. He bops Simon over the head with the feather duster. “If Jem asks, I’ve been tidying.”

 

* * *

 

Clary is tucked up under Simon’s arm for warmth as she sips from her to-go cup. “Is there a reason we’re lingering at Cardale’s instead of heading home? Because I can’t focus in a coffee shop and I have to write a six page paper on Spanish Colonialism.”

“That sounds awful,” Simon says. He kisses her beanie. “You know why we’re waiting.”

Clary does but it doesn’t stop her from pouting. She leans into Simon’s side and takes a long drink from her coffee. It’s not nearly as cold out as she’s pretending it is, but Simon doesn’t mind. He used to live for the moments Clary tucked herself into his side like this.

They don’t have to wait long. Jace shows up a little after they sit down to wait, wearing a leather jacket and a dark beanie pulled low over his ears. As soon as he enters the coffee shop, his eyes home in on Simon.

“Hey, babe,” Jace says. His cheeks are flushed from the chill and he’s got a grin on his face. He crosses the room to press a kiss to Simon’s temple and laughs when Simon tugs him down by his jacket for a proper kiss. Their foreheads touch after and Simon’s heart flutters. “Hey.”

“I feel like I was dragged into something I didn’t ask to be a part of,” Clary says, laughing. She untangles herself from Simon and gives Jace a cursory fistbump. “How is the barista business going?”

“Pretty good,” Jace says. He tugs his beanie off and shoves it into his pocket. His hair is a mess and Simon aches to run his fingers through it to smooth it out. “You know, busy busy. Will wants me to make an Instagram for the coffee shop. Since he can’t be arsed to do it.”

“Oh, that sounds fun!” Clary says. She elbows Simon hard. “If you need help with a website, this nerd taught himself coding as a hobby.”

“I know nothing about computers, except how to get to Facebook, Google, and PornHub,” Jace says. He winks when Clary turns bright red, choking on her coffee. “The essentials, right?”

“You’re going to be the death of her,” Simon says, rubbing Clary’s back. “We just waited to say ‘hi’. Clary has a paper to write and I need to study.”

Jace nods. “Well, it was good to see you.”

Feeling brave, Simon stands up straight and presses a quick kiss to Jace’s lips. They’re cold and chapped but Jace catches Simon’s face and holds him in place to deepen it.

Licking his lips when they pull apart, Simon says, “Have fun at work.”

“Try not to spend all night thinking about me,” Jace says, winking, but Simon doesn’t know how he’s supposed to do anything else.

 

* * *

 

They get coffee and sandwiches and relax on a blanket in what Simon is starting to think of as _their spot_. They shared their first kiss here. This is the second time they’ve claimed it for a picnic. If they do it again, that makes it official. The school will even owe them one of those historical plaques.

It’s not that cold out while the sun is up, but Simon will make any excuse to cuddle into Jace’s side. His shoulder is a good pillow and Simon could spend all day relaxing against him.

“Are you excited to go to the game tomorrow night?” Jace asks.

Simon hadn’t forgotten it, but he doesn’t know what to expect. “Are you going to dump me if I say I’ve never watched a hockey game in my life?”

Jace laughs and his chest vibrates with the sound. “Before Alec decided he wanted to play in highschool, I don’t think I watched a single game. He dragged me to tryouts and decided we were Islanders fans and I don’t know. That’s just how life is now.”

“I’m assuming that’s the New York team?” Simon asks and Jace nods. “Yeah, my dad used to be a Red Wings fan and legit stopped talking to my mom’s brother when he came out as a Blackhawks fan. That’s the extent of my hockey knowledge. Now baseball, I can tell that New York is the Yankees and apparently we’re good?”

Jace laughs and kisses the top of Simon’s head. “Get some tequila in Alec and you will learn so much.”

“I’m excited to meet your family,” Simon says. He tangles his fingers with Jace’s and nuzzles into his shoulder. “Though Clary tells me I have met your sister. Apparently they study together sometimes.”

Jace makes a contemplative sound. “Does Clary like girls?”

“Not that I know of,” Simon says, though honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised. Clary has had zero interest in men almost as long as he’s known her. It was cool when he was jealous of her potentially dating other people but now he’s actually kind of curious. “I’m going to text her. Is it weird if my best friend hooks up with your sister?”

“Dude, I’ve done weirder,” Jace says. “Set that alarm on your phone and just nap for a while.”

“That’s how people get mugged,” Simon says, but he sets the alarm on his phone anyway. He doesn’t feel tired, but he likes the idea of taking a nap with Jace.


End file.
